Advertisers abandon Alan Jones.

Advertisers have started pulling their sponsorship of Alan Jones’ 2GB radio show following the host’s controversial comments about Prime Minister Gillard and the death of he father, John over the weekend.

According to news.com.au, more than 8000 Australians have signed an online petition that calls for calling for advertisers to stop sponsoring the morning radio show (you can sign the petition here.)

Freedom Furniture, Woolworths, Mercedes Benz and Challenger have confirmed they’re pulling their sponsorship and the managing director of air-conditioning company JJ Metro West said it was considering its options.

Yesterday Alan Jones held an almost hour-long press conference in Sydney today where he (sort of) apologised to Julia Gillard for his comments at a Young Liberal Party function, where he said the Prime Minister’s late father had ‘died of shame’.

Jones said he had not considered resigning over the remarks. “The advertisers aren’t queuing up to pull their advertising – that’s up to the station,” he said. He said he had heard the “died of shame” remark at a children’s party, and likened it to “black-humoured comments” made in the trenches of Gallipoli.

“I shouldn’t have repeated the story. I’m old enough and smart enough to know that shouldn’t have happened,” Jones said. “It was a throw-away thing at a private function – I thought it was a private function.”

Jones also said he’d raised money in the past for female candidates and he resented any assumptions that he was against women in politics.

Following the speech, the Sydney University Liberals sent out a tweet saying: “Brilliant speech by Alan Jones last night. It’s no wonder he’s the nation’s most influential broadcaster.” The tweet has now been deleted.

Jones’ comments have made national news with shocked political commentators all weighing in on Twitter yesterday.

Take a look:

Tweet from @TurnbullMalcolmTweet from @JulianBurnsideTweet from @MiaFreedman

From our partnerTweet from @BrendanMacleanTweet from @JamilaRizviTweet from @JennaPriceTweet from @StellajYoung

From our partnerTweet from @GriffithChad

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Do you think Alan Jones should resign following his remarks? Do you think his apology was sufficient? Do you think his apology was genuine?